Boil covered or uncovered

[enohcs]

What kettle do you use? Do you boil your wort covered or uncovered? What is your volume loss due to evaporation with your equipment and method?

 

[Dogphish]

i have been told that you need to boil with lid off because chlorine and some corn tasting chemicals need to escape.

also, i do all grain and have a hard time getting 1 gallon per hour to evaporate as expected. it could be because my pot is only 12" diameter, i usually have a hops bag floating and taking up some of the surface area, and my turkey fryer burner is running at 100% capacity (could use a little more heat).

 

[krduckman]

Use a 5 gallon pot with only 3 1/2 to 4 gallons of liquid uncovered. I've always read it's better to leave uncovered to let the impurities escape.

Also, usually loose about 1/2 gallon of water.

 

[billy915]

I use a 10.5 gallon brew pot for my boils. I start off with 7.5 gallons after sparging and end up with 6 gallons after a 90 min boil on my turkey fryer. I always boil uncovered. I'm an all grain brewer.

 

[Zamial]

Uncovered always because of DMS. It is ok to cover it to bring it to a boil but do not start keeping time until the lid is removed for the duration.

 

[MrMeans]

Uncovered as well, the only time i ever cover my BK is to bring it to a boil on windy days when I use the propane burner.

 

[Face Eater]

I usually boil down about 6.5 gallons to 5.25 gallon in a 9 gallon pot (60 minute boil). I never cover my kettle especially after what happened to my friends brews. He didn't have enough heat to bring his brews to a boil and to keep it vigorous so he kept the lid on. All the brews he did this way had a weird off flavor, probably due to dms and almost undrinkable. So maybe if you need to get it to a boil it's safe but during the boil I would leave it off for evaporation and dms.

 

[nanop]

5 gallon pot w/ 3.5 or 4.0 gallons in the boil. Typically a 75min boil. I leave the cover off until I put my 15min additions in then, I keep it covered to hold in the aromas. About a half gallon is lost to evaporation. I've only done PM (often w/ Pils) and haven't had any DMS issues.

 

[jiggs_casey]

I cover mine until it starts to boil. Uncovered = heat loss = longer 'to boil' times. Once the boil starts, if you cover, you risk boilovers.

I account for 1/2 gallon every 30 minutes for evap loss.

 

[solbes]

I also cover mine until the boil starts, and then remove the cover for the 60 minute boil.

 

[Bigbeavk]

I use an 8 gallon pot with a lid doing 5 gallon boils. I used a 1 1/2 inch hole saw to put a hole in the lid. I can see what's going on and let the steam out.

 

[stompbox]

The first time I did it with teh lid off, I got a leaf in the boil.... Now I have it 75% covered with the lid.

 

[tasq]

mmmmm dms.

 

[makomachine]

I've been an uncovered guy since the beginning. That said, I have a new slightly underpowered electric setup and do 90 minute boils with 1/2 covered and have had no issues. You need to let it vent and not run back into the kettle is key. I'll choose that option over uncovered with light boil any day.